Grand Duke, Please Stop Obsessing Over Your Wife! - Chapter 86

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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86.

⟡Chapter 18⟡

Founding Festival

It was the fastest way to appeal to the romance enthusiasts of the Empire, where the political marriage rate reached 5% annually.

The groundwork had already been laid.

The northwestern nobles who had attended Count Cullen’s party would have excitedly carried around the declaration of “Annelizing” they had personally received and spread the word.

‘While we’re at it, we can also change the Duke’s monstrous image in a positive direction.’

For the bigger picture, she could endure a little shame.

Annelize trusted in her own boldness.

Inside the carriage heading to the clothing store in the bustling district.

Annelize grabbed the Duke’s hand.

“Well, now… the time has come, Your Grace.”

She took a deep breath.

“According to the plan I explained last time, we’re going to walk around the bustling district and express our affection freely. You can do it, right?”

The Duke nodded with an extremely serious expression.

“I can do this very well.”

His expression was as if he had been born for this task.

Why was she feeling more anxious?

“…You don’t need to be so enthusiastic about it. You can just do it formally and casually.”

“No? Absolutely not. I’m going to let everyone who sees us today know. That you are the most beautiful, cute, lovely, elegant, dazzling, outstanding, graceful, refined, sophisticated, adorable, gorgeous, enchanting, radiant, brilliant, bright, bewitching, pure, noble, beautiful, charming, ecstatic, mysterious, mystical, fantastic, perfect, harmonious, noble, sublime, pure-“

He began reciting each word with an extremely calm tone.

‘Is this the Duke or a thesaurus?’

Annelize was amazed by the Duke’s vocabulary.

And weren’t his expressions evolving as he went on? Did he really devour a dictionary?

The Duke didn’t even stop talking. He didn’t need to breathe, after all.

“Stop! That’s enough. It’s sufficient.”

It only ended when Annelize finally made him restrain himself.

“This is why I created that word. With just one word, ‘Annelize,’ I can explain it simply.”

The Duke clicked his tongue. She didn’t know what he had done well to be clicking his tongue.

“Right. You can just do what you’ve been doing. Yes.”

“What about you? Can you play your role well?”

Annelize held back a sigh.

Naturally, she also had a role to play in this performance.

“The role of a wife who is embarrassed by her husband’s affectionate advances but secretly enjoys them. Yes. I can do it well too.”

For reference, this wasn’t a role she had chosen.

It was all because of Anna Rose.

[Sister. You should act in a way you can immerse yourself in well. This is perfect for you. Method acting will flow naturally, won’t it?]

What method acting and immersion? Anna Rose, really.

What was more embarrassing was the fact that she couldn’t completely deny Anna Rose’s words.

Setting aside the Duke’s affectionate advances. He really looked wonderful today.

Since the black cloak didn’t help with image management at all, the Duke was dressed in formal wear like any other noble.

‘He looks handsome again.’

Her gaze was naturally drawn to his straight shoulders and the body line from his chest to his pelvis.

‘Until now, only I have been looking at this. When I think that other people will see this too… No, wait, get a grip. Is now the time to be jealous of others? Would you rather have the Duke be called a monster like before?’

This was the problem with falling in love.

Annelize quickly disciplined her selfishness.

Meanwhile, the carriage came to a stop.

She lifted the window curtain and checked the atmosphere of the street.

Looking outside the window, people walking down the street were giving curious glances at the noble in the carriage.

“Come here. Annelize.”

The masked Duke extended his hand to her.

Annelize obediently nestled into the Duke’s arms.

The Duke supported her with one arm and opened the carriage door with his other hand.

People’s gazes immediately focused on them.

“Who is that gentleman?”

“Well. It’s a carriage I’ve never seen before…”

“Isn’t that platinum hair the daughter of Count Solariccen?”

“Have you been at some monastery? She’s not the daughter of Count Solariccen anymore, but the Duchess of Aperhis!”

“Then the man holding the Duchess in his arms-“

A man who looked like a lower noble stammered.

It was because the Duke had suddenly approached him.

“That’s right. I am the Duke, and this woman is my wife.”

He spoke with a tone full of pride.

And he turned around once as if showing off, boasting about Annelize to the people gathered nearby.

Even Count Solariccen, who had given birth to Annelize himself, wouldn’t boast about her like this.

“Don’t touch, just look. You’ll wear her out.”

The Duke warned the people with blank faces.

Even though no one dared to try to touch the Duke’s woman.

“Eek.”

One particularly timid-looking man trembled and stepped backward.

Before he could faint and add another point to the Duke’s infamy, Annelize stepped forward.

“It’s okay. He may look rough on the outside, but he’s more gentle than you think. Could someone please help support that gentleman? Your Grace, let’s go to the store now.”

“Alright.”

At Annelize’s single word, the Duke became as quiet as a gentle lamb.

People watched with amazed gazes as the Duke leaned his head against the Duchess and she patted his head.

“…What did I just see?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Ignoring the murmuring that followed, the Duke headed straight to the atelier.

Madame Rosetta’s Atelier was bustling with people as expected.

“Your Grace the Duchess! Please come in. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Madame Rosetta recognized Annelize and approached her.

She had been acquainted with Annelize since she was in the capital.

“Madame Rosetta. It’s been a while. It must have been a rushed order, but thank you for accepting it so readily.”

“Of course I had to set everything aside and process Your Grace’s order first. This atelier became this big all thanks to Your Grace.”

She was an expert who knew how to make dresses that were both elegant and comfortable.

Her words were true, as she had made her name known thanks to Annelize frequently wearing those dresses.

“Come this way. This is the completed dress.”

Madame Rosetta approached the dress hanging at the entrance.

The attention of the customers in the atelier focused on one place.

The single dress placed in the glass display case on the first floor of the shop, visible to anyone passing through the bustling district.

Everyone had been curious about who owned the dress that had been hanging there for several days.

Because the dress was a deep blue color.

Annelize had commissioned Madame Rosetta to make a dress with the most expensive fabric.

‘Aquamarine silk is more expensive than gold.’

Making clothes with aquamarine silk meant that the client either had so much money it was rotting away, or was crazy enough to exchange gold that could buy several mansions in the capital for just a dress. Of course, the Duke was both.

Duke Aperhis looked the dress up and down.

“I instructed you to add gold thread, but there seems to be less than I thought.”

At his criticism, gasps could be heard from here and there.

‘Aquamarine silk with gold thread. Everyone must think we’re crazy.’

Annelize could guess what people were thinking.

“We moderated the amount considering the physical strength of the wearer. Adding more would have made the dress too heavy.”

Madame Rosetta drew upon her decades of experience serving customers to explain the reason for restraining the use of gold thread.

“And the Duchess already possesses sufficient golden thread.”

At Madame Rosetta’s words, the Duke’s gaze turned to Annelize’s golden hair.

He stroked his chin with his hand, looking satisfied.

“I understand. She will wear it right now, so prepare it. And have you finished packaging the other dresses my wife will wear?”

A big spender smitten with his wife naturally wouldn’t commission just one dress.

At the Duke’s words, the dress shop employees moved swiftly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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